Biodiversity Commons^™

Historical And Future Role Of Wilmar Palm Oil In Deforestation Of Indonesian Borneo, Sam Coroniti Iii

Senior Theses

Borneo is one of the most biologically diverse locations on Earth, with thousands of endemic and rare species forming unique and intricate relationships throughout the ecosystems. Orangutans, elephants, leopards, tigers, rhinos, and many more species call this island their home, although population levels for all of the mentioned species have been in seriously decline over recent decades. The loss of primary rainforest that provides the most critical habitat for these species has occurred at the highest rate that has ever been seen on Earth, leading to extreme land conversion and greenhouse gas producing operations. The primary driver of these actions …

Ecological Studies Of Wolves On Isle Royale Annual Report 2021-2022, Sarah R. Hoy, Rolf O. Peterson, John A. Vucetich

Ecological Studies of Wolves on Isle Royale

Annual Report 2021-2022

A Quantitative Study Of Orchids And Their Proximate Environments Over An Elevational Gradient On The Northern Slope Of Montagne D’Ambre, Hazel Schrader

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research investigated change in orchid populations and their proximate environments on the Northern slope of Montagne d’Ambre, a subhumid forest in Northern Madagascar. Orchid density, way of life (epiphyte or terrestrial), phenology, and associations were recorded over 100m elevation gradients and between forest types (primary, secondary, dry, and humid forests at the same altitude). Additionally, orchid preferences for certain heights in the forest and DBH of host trees were analyzed. The establishment of 50X20m plots in 100m elevation gradients combined with ground survey yielded significant results demonstrating change along with elevation as well as forest types. Orchid density increased …

Human Adaptation And Morphological Variation: Expanding Diversity In Anatomy Curriculum, Jordan Cass, Cooker Storm

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Introduction: The recent upturn in our nation’s socio-political conversation has fueled interest in ensuring that college curricula is diverse and inclusive. Because human anatomy is ubiquitous across colleges, it may be a valuable avenue to purposefully incorporate topics of diversity in a way that positively impacts our socio-cultural relationships. Providing students with a scientific understanding of our visible differences may mitigate subconscious bias when we see others who have different features. Purpose: We investigated the biogeographical factors that contribute to the morphological variability of the face, hair, and body size; with the secondary aim of developing diverse and …

Stepping-Stones And Mediators Of Pandemic Expansion: A Context For Humans As Ecological Super-Spreaders, Eric P. Hoberg, Walter A. Boeger, Daniel R. Brooks, Valeria Trivellone, Salvatore J. Agosta

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Humans represent ecological super-spreaders in the dissemination and introduction of pathogens. These processes, consistent with the dynamics of the Stockholm paradigm, are exemplified in the origin and globalized distributions of SARS-CoV-2 since initial recognition in central Asia during 2019 and 2020. SARS-like viruses are not widespread in mammals but appear widespread in chiropterans. Bats are isolated ecologically from most other assemblages of mammals in terrestrial systems. Humans may be the stepping-stone hosts for broad global dissemination and wider infection (given the opportunity) among diverse assemblages of mammals in which host and viral capacity are compatible. Human globalization mediated insertion in …

Checklist Of Zooplankton Of The Halda River, Chattogram, Bangladesh, Md. Safiqul Islam, M.A. Azadi, Munira Nasiruddin, Md. Tajul Islam

Journal of Bioresource Management

The River Halda is one of the important natural breeding grounds of Indian major carp (Labeo rohita, Labeo calbasu, Gibelion catla, Cirrhinus mrigala) in Bangladesh for its unique physicochemical and biological properties of water. The productivity of the Halda ecosystem mainly depends on the plankton diversity. Zooplankton directly affects the productivity of the Halda River ecosystem. Research work was conducted for the two years extending from January 2017 to December 2018 to identify the zooplankton community of the Halda River. A total of 71 species of zooplankton under 37 genera belonging to 9 groups were identified. The dominant …

Environmental And Habitat Preferences Of The Algerian Hedgehog Atelerix Algirus(Lereboullet, 1842) In El Kala National Park (North-East Algeria), Sakraoui Rym, Boukheroufa Mehdi, Dadci Walid, Abdallah Khadidjawissal, Senaoui Charafeddine, Sakraoui Feriel, Benyacoub Slim

Journal of Bioresource Management

We conducted this study to identify the preferred habitat of Atelerix algirus in the National Park of El Kala (PNEK), through the analysis of the catches rates of the species combined to an ethno zoological survey carried out among the residents. The study was conducted between January 2010 and December 2011, in five localities of the Park, different by their useful areas (forests and agricultural land) and their degree of urbanization: Raml Souk, El Aioun, Berrihane, El Kala and Bougous. We also surveyed 57 residents of Berrihane locality. Our results identified the locality of Berrihane as the preferred area of …

A Revision Of The Genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, With A Description Of 14 New Species (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, Victor Fet, Benjamin Gantenbein, Matthew R. Graham, Ersen A. Yağmur, František Šťáhlavský, Nikita M. Poverennyi, Nizami E. Novruzov

Euscorpius

The Asian genus Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950, s. str. (Buthidae) (also known as an informal ‘M. eupeus complex’), which includes the most common scorpion species found from Turkey to China, is revised based on new collections, mainly from Central Asia, Turkey, and Iran, using both morphological and mitochondrial DNA data. Available type specimens of all species were studied; neotypes and lectotypes were designated when necessary. The type species Mesobuthus eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839), s. str., is restricted to the Caucasus Mts. Currently, the genus includes 29 valid species. Fifteen previously described taxa are recognized as species: Mesobuthus afghanus (Pocock, …

Genetic Variation Of The Mitochondrial Dna Control Region Across Plains Bison Herds In Usa And Canada, Gaimi Davies, Blake Mccann, Lee Jones, Stefano Liccioli, Maria Cecilia Penedo, Igor V. Ovtchinnikov

Biology Faculty Publications

Once numbering in the tens of millions, bison (Bison bison) have faced a broad range of challenges over the past century, including genetic impacts from the population bottleneck in the 1800s, and significant loss and fragmentation of habitat resulting in little opportunity for population growth on remaining small, geographically isolated reserves. To identify best practices for bison stewardship against this backdrop, managers must understand the genetic composition of existing conservation herds. This study characterized 14 plains bison (Bison bison bison) herds managed by the U.S. Department of Interior and Parks Canada Agency based on complete mtDNA …

Mesobuthus Zarudnyi Sp. N. From Azerbaijan (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Nizami E. Novruzov, František Kovařík, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

A new species Mesobuthus zarudnyi sp. n. is described from Azerbaijan, fully illustrated with color photos. We compare the new species with two other species, M. eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839) and M. persicus (Pocock, 1899), both found also in Azerbaijan.

Characterization Of Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis Sp. Nov., And Its Taxonomic Relatedness To Other Polyhydroxybutyrate-Degrading Streptomycetes, Gary R. Hix, Muhammad S. Khan, Mikayla T. Miller, Elisha C. Napier, Allison L. O'Brien, Roger P. White, Stephen F. Baron Ph.D.

Biology Faculty Scholarship

A polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-degrading actinomycete, strain SFB5A^T, was identified as a species of Streptomyces based on its membrane fatty acid profile and the presence of LL-diaminopimelic acid in the cell wall. It formed sporulating mycelia on most agar media, but flat or wrinkled, moist colonies on trypticase soy agar. Spores were smooth, cylindrical, and borne on long, straight to flexuous chains. It produced a light brown diffusible pigment, but not melanin. Comparison of genomic digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values indicated that strain SFB5A^T was related to Streptomyces litmocidini JCM 4394^T , Streptomyces …

Center For Grassland Studies, March 2022

Center for Grassland Studies: Newsletters

Contents

New Course: Research Experiences in Grasslands by Dan Uden

Center for Grassland Studies Policy Advisory Committee

Director’s Column by Jerry Volesky (Interim Director)

Educational Trunk to Focus on Grasslands by Cheryl Dunn

Form a Team and Grab Your Clubs by Scott Holly

Collaborative Adaptive Management for the Barta Brothers Ranch by Craig Allen

Nebraska Range Short Course, June 20-23

Registration Opens for 2022 Nebraska Ranch Practicum by Troy Walz

Nebraska Sandhills Rates as World’s Most Intact Prairie by Scott Schrage

Nebraska Youth Range Camp, June 6-9, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Curtis, Nebraska

The Role Of Leaf Decomposition In Macroinvertebrate Colonization, Bethany Mabel Lian Schorr, Kevin Geedey

Independent Research Projects

Decomposition plays an important ecological role in carbon and nutrient cycling that supply food and energy resources to food webs. This study investigates the potential role that leaf decomposition of different leaf species may play in macroinvertebrate assemblages in upper Midwest streams. We hypothesized that the different decomposition rates experienced with different leaf species and in different streams would have an effect on invertebrate colonization due to the variance in nutrient availability. Due to altered fire regimes and other influences, forests are experiencing declines in fire-adapted, heliophytic species such as oaks and compositional shifts toward shade-tolerant, mesophytic species such as …

Introducing Xanthoria Parietina: Invasive, Naturalized, Or Opportunistic?, Mikele Baugh, Steve Leavitt

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

Lichens are one of the world’s ubiquitous group of organisms. They have been documented from frigid tundras to arid deserts. While some species are known to be particularly hardy and flexible in their habitats, many species are linked to specific growing conditions. As the global climate changes, the geographical range for different growing conditions shifts. Economic trade and human travel provide new opportunities for species to access new locations that are beginning to develop habitable conditions. Xanthoria parietina has been observed in the Great Basin (a region outside of its typical coastal distribution) found in newly built horticultural landscapes. Individuals …

Reviewing The Effects Of Human-Induced Limb Damage In Crabs, Jacob B. Spencer, Blaine D. Griffen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

Limb damage in crabs comes in various forms, each with unique consequences. Brachyuran crabs shed limbs as a defensive reflex, with natural breakage occurring along a plane, otherwise known as autotomy. In addition to autotomy, crabs commonly lose limbs due to fishing practices such as declawing. In many areas, taking the limbs and releasing the crab is a common practice. The logic is that the populations won’t decline if the crab is put back. Other practices such as nicking, or cutting the main claw tendon, are used to restrict claw movement. Various effects of these fishery practices have been documented …

Morphological Changes Of The Asian Shore Crab Across Latitudes, Ainslee Mcmullin, Blaine D. Griffen

Library/Life Sciences Undergraduate Poster Competition 2022

The Asian shore crab, Hemigrapsus sanguineus , is an invasive species that has rapidly spread across the Eastern United States coastline. First observed in North America in 1988, its range currently extends from Maine to North Carolina. H. sanguineus has adapted very well to this region and has displaced several native species as the dominant crab in rocky intertidal habitats. Although the Asian shore crab’s biology and interactions with native species has been well studied, larger scale impacts (economic, potential further spread, community ecology, etc.) are under researched. We collected specimen samples of H. sanguineus throughout its entire East coast …

Data From Callery Pear Prairie Survey, Michaela J. Woods, Grace Dietsch, Ryan W. Mcewan

Five Rivers MetroParks Collaboration Data Archive

This dataset was curated following the examination of two prairies invaded by Callery pear, and two that were not invaded. We assessed soil nutrients and chemistry, plant cover, and proximity to different land uses to see if they impacted Callery pear abundance, presence/absence or cover.

Monitoring Extinction Risk And Threats Of The World's Fishes Based On The Sampled Red List Index, Rafael Miranda, Imanol Miqueleiz, William Darwall, Catherine Sayer, Nicholas K. Dulvy, Kent E. Carpenter, Beth Polidoro, Nadia Dewhurst-Richman, Caroline Pollock, Craig Hilton-Taylor, Robin Freeman, Ben Collen, Monika Böhm

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Global biodiversitytargets require us to identify species at risk of extinction and quantify status and trends of biodiversity. The Red List Index (RLI) tracks trends in the conservation status of entire species groups over time by monitoring changes in categories assigned to species. Here, we calculate this index for the world’s fishes in 2010, using a sampled approach to the RLI based on a randomly selected sample of 1,500 species, and also present RLI splits for freshwater and marine systems separately. We further compare specific traits of a worldwide fish list to our sample to assess its representativeness. Overall, 15.1% …

First Record Of The Genus Compsobuthus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Maharashtra, India, With Description Of A New Species, Vivek Waghe, Satpal Gangalmale, Akshay Khandekar

Euscorpius

A new species of the genus Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 (Buthidae) belonging to the werneri group is described from two localities in Jalgaon District, Maharashtra, India. The new species can be easily distinguished from all four members of the werneri group known from India and Pakistan by combination of nonoverlapping morphological characters. Compsobuthus satpuraensis sp. n. is the first species of this genus to be reported from the state of Maharashtra and fourth to be reported from India.

Phylogenomic Discordance Suggests Polytomies Along The Backbone Of The Large Genus Solanum, Edeline Gagnon, Rebeccca Hilgenhof, Andrés Orejuela, Angela J. Mcdonnell, Gaurav Sablok, Xavier Aubriot, Leandro Giacomin, Yuri Gouvêa, Thamyris Bragionis, João Renato Stehmann, Lynn Bohs, Steven Dodsworth, Christopher T. Martine, Péter Poczai, Sandra Knapp, Tiina Särkinen

Faculty Journal Articles

Premise of the study

Evolutionary studies require solid phylogenetic frameworks, but increased volumes of phylogenomic data have revealed incongruent topologies among gene trees in many organisms both between and within genomes. Some of these incongruences indicate polytomies that may remain impossible to resolve. Here we investigate the degree of gene-tree discordance in Solanum, one of the largest flowering plant genera that includes the cultivated potato, tomato, and eggplant, as well as 24 minor crop plants.

Methods

A densely sampled species-level phylogeny of Solanum is built using unpublished and publicly available Sanger sequences comprising 60% of all accepted species (742 spp.) …

High Abundance Of A Single Taxon (Amphipods) Predicts Aquatic Macrophyte Biodiversity In Prairie Wetlands, Danelle M. Larson, Demey Dejong, Michael J. Anteau, Megan J. Fitzpatrick, Breanna Keith, Emily Schilling, Barry There

Faculty Authored Articles

Conservation programs often aim to protect the abundance of individual species and biodiversity simultaneously. We quantified relations between amphipod densities and aquatic macrophyte (large plants and algae) diversity to test a hypothesis that biodiversity can support high abundance of a single taxonomic group. Amphipods (Gammarus lacustris and Hyalella azteca) are key forage for waterfowl and are declining in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. We sampled a large gradient of amphipod densities (0–7050 amphipods/m3) in 49 semi-permanent wetlands, and 50% of the study wetlands had high amphipod densities (> 500 amphipods/m3). Generalized linear models revealed G. lacustris …

Mark-Recapture Study And Habitat Assessment For The Northern Metalmark Butterfly, Calephelis Borealis (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), Weston J. Henry, Kristian S. Omland, Henry Frye, Wagner L. David

EEB Articles

Background: The northern metalmark (Calephelis borealis), is an exceedingly local, globally rare butterfly that is declining across the Midwestern and Northeastern USA. The principal stressors driving colony losses include afforestation and invasive plants that crowd out its larval hostplant (Packera ovata) and nectar resources.

Aims/Methods: To better understand its declines and guide restoration efforts, we 1) performed a mark-recapture study in Connecticut to document population trends where we were actively managing vegetation; 2) conducted a range-wide survey for evidence of phylogeographic structure, using cytochrome oxidase (CO1); 3) investigated abundance determinants of its larval foodplant, Packera ovata …

Preliminary Survey And Diet Analysis Of Anurans In The Riparian Zone Of Calayagon Watershed, Agusan Del Norte, Philippines, Jenessa Verna B. Salo, Chennie L. Solania

Journal of Bioresource Management

Watersheds are critical habitats for a diverse array of organisms. Among all the fauna, anurans are excellent biological indicators of environmental health. The community structure is often associated with a relationship between species diversity and diet. An anuran survey was conducted along riparian zones of three selected barangays of Calayagon Watershed (Guinabsan, Rizal, and Malpoc), Philippines. Extensive opportunistic methods for a total of 480 man-hours were spent traversing the area. A total of 195 individuals, consisting of seven species from four families, were recorded. Seventy-two percent of the individual species were regarded as Least concern, and 14 % were Near-threatened. …

Mosquito Survey In Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria Northern): Updated Inventory With New Reports, Soumeya Chahed, Hania Belkacem, Lynda Boukhari, Karima Brahmi

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mosquitoes play an important role in public health, they are responsible for the transmission of pathogens that cause infectious diseases to both humans and animals. The study of this fauna biodiversity is necessary to determine the vector species of diseases. Our inventory of mosquitoes in Tizi-Ouzou province has been updated in this study, it was carried out from April to September, 2021 at 43 breeding sites, spread over ten different communes. The inventory was based on the sampling of larvae and the capture of adults on human bait. The identification of Culicidae inventoried revealed the presence of 14 species belonging …

2022 Gray Wolf Questions And Answers, United States Fish And Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

2022 Gray Wolf Questions and Answers

What does the February 10, 2022, ruling mean?

How does this ruling affect wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains?

When does the court decision to vacate the delisting rule go into effect?

What is the legal status of gray wolves as of this ruling?

Is the Service continuing its status review of wolves in the western United States?

Is emergency listing an option for the Northern Rocky Mountain population?

Are wolf hunts going to stop as a result of the court decision?

How does this ruling affect wolves in Yellowstone National Park?

Where can …

Houtman Abrolhos Islands Fish Habitat Protection Area: A Summary Of Marine Resource Use And Ecological Attributes, Scott N. Evans, Nick Konzewitsch, Lynda M. Bellchambers

Fisheries Research Reports

The Houtman Abrolhos Islands (Abrolhos) is an archipelago of up to 210 small islands and associated reefs located approximately 65-90 km offshore from Geraldton, Western Australia (WA). The islands and waters of the Abrolhos are of significance for both land-based and marine based values. The marine state territorial waters of the Abrolhos are managed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) as the Houtman Abrolhos Islands Fish Habitat Protection Area (Abrolhos FHPA). This report aims to provide a summary of the DPIRD data on aquatic resource use (e.g., aquaculture, commercial, recreational and charter fishing) and ecological attributes …

Global And Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios For The United States: Updated Mean Projections And Extreme Weather Level Probabilities Along U.S. Coastlines, William V. Sweet, Benjamin D. Hamlington, Robert E. Kopp, Christopher P. Weaver, Patrick L. Barnard, David Bekaert, William Brooks, Michael Craghan, Gregory Dusek, Thomas Frederikse, Gregory Garner, Ayesha S. Genz, John P. Krasting, Eric Larour, Doug Marcy, John J. Marra, Jayantha Obeysekera, Mark Osler, Matthew Pendleton, Daniel Roman, Lauren Schmied, Will Veatch, Kathleen D. White, Casey Zuzak

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

This report and accompanying datasets from the U.S. Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard Scenarios and Tools Interagency Task Force provide 1) sea level rise scenarios to 2150 by decade that include estimates of vertical land motion and 2) a set of extreme water level probabilities for various heights along the U.S. coastline. These data are available at 1-degree grids along the U.S. coastline and downscaled specifically at NOAA tide-gauge locations. Estimates of flood exposure are assessed using contemporary U.S. coastal flood-severity thresholds for current conditions (e.g., sea levels and infrastructure footprint) and for the next 30 years (out …

Fact Sheet - Human Settlements: Climate Change Impacts And Risks, Winston T. L. Chow, Richard Dawson, Bruce Glavovic, Marjolijn Haasnoot, Mark Pelling, William Solecki

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This regional factsheet on cities and human settlements gives a snapshot of the key findings of the Sixth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2022 - Impacts. Adaptation and Vulnerability, distilled from the relevant Chapters and Cross-Chapter Papers, the Technical Summary and the Global to Regional Atlas.

Crassostrea Gigas Invasion In Southern California: Macrofaunal Diversity And Local Community Impacts Of Ecosystem Engineers On Estuarine Habitats, Noah Jansen-Yee

Theses

Many marine ecosystems are facing the growing threat of biological invasions. These invasions can have a variety of different impacts on ecosystems and their inhabitants. The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is currently in the relatively early stages of invasion in San Diego estuaries. Crassostrea gigas is a large, filter-feeding bivalve that forms dense oyster beds on hard substrate. These oysters are known to outcompete native counterparts and drastically alter habitats where they are present. Crassostrea gigas is an ecosystem engineer that, through shell creation and formation of a dense oyster matrix, impacts ecosystems in a variety of direct and indirect …

Observations On Regeneration Of The Pedipalp And Legs Of Scorpions, Martin Watz, Jason A. Dunlop

Euscorpius

An Opisthacanthus asper (Peters, 1861) (Hormuridae) shows a relatively rare example of pedipalp regeneration in which the lost tibia and tarsus was replaced by a smaller, curved element of uncertain homology to either the fixed or free finger. A comparable abnormal palp described in the literature hints that pedipalps can only regenerate a structure of this form, regardless of the site of amputation. An Olivierus caucasicus (Nordmann, 1840) (Buthidae) is described in which claws (pretarsus) of leg III regenerated directly at the distal end of the tibia, while in leg IV the claws regenerated at the end of a truncated …